Legislators from the Anambra State Caucus have set the record straight after a falsehood about their endorsement of Governor Chukwuma Soludo's re-election campaign went viral on social media. A statement released on Sunday by Hon. Victor Afam Ogene, leader of the Anambra State Caucus, characterised the accusation as an effort by "middlesome interlopers" to end a cooperation between the legislative and executive branches focused on development, and a "blackmail" tactic. Rather of endorsing a candidate for re-election, Ogene claims that the legislators visited Governor Soludo over the weekend to discuss strategies for the state's future.
An article in The Leadership states that the member stressed the importance of focusing on infrastructure collaboration and development, saying that not even Governor Soludo has ever made such statements on social media. "Our attention has been drawn to wild rumours... to the effect that the Anambra State Caucus, 10th House of Representatives, has endorsed Governor Chukwuma Soludo for a second tenure in office," the statement continues. We met with Governor Soludo in the Governor's Lodge in Amawbia on June 28, 2024, as a courtesy, but our discussions revolved about creating a development synergy that would benefit our state as a whole.
There was no endorsement of a candidate since, as Ogene pointed out, nobody was allowed to state their personal or political ties at the conference. For the sake of their own political agendas, he begged "meddlesome interlopers" to keep this development-focused partnership going. Many were relieved by this result since they were worried about potential political manoeuvring in the run-up to the 2025 governorship election in Anambra State. It is critical to encourage openness and responsibility in political operations as Nigerians enter another election cycle.